MicroRNA研究进展

MicroRNA(miRNA)是生物体内源长度约为21-25个核苷酸的非编码小RNA,通过与靶mRNA互补配对而在转录水平上对基因的表达进行负调控,导致mRNA的翻译抑制或降解。miRNA虽然微小,但它在真核生物发育和基因表达中通过与靶mRNA形成完全或不完全互补配对从而扮演着重要角色。它们参与动物体发育、细胞增殖与死亡、细胞分化等各种过程。综述了miRNA的发现、生物合成、特征与功能、靶基因的预测等方面的研究进展。     

MicroRNA研究进展

在多细胞生物的基因组中都存在一类非编码RNA基因,能够产生长度约为22个核苷酸的小分子RNA,称为microRNA(miRNA),具有调节其他基因表达活性的功能。miRNA的发现,为我们理解复杂的基因调节网络开辟了新的空间。本文概述了miRNA的产生过程、转录抑制机理、研究并预测miRNA的方法等。     

果蝇精子发生研究进展

果蝇精子发生是一个极为复杂的分化过程,受可育基因的控制。Y染色体上lampbrushloop是一组研究得较为深入的可育基因。在初级精母细胞时期,loop处于活跃转录状态,终产物为具有特异二级结构、大小与loop相当的RNA分子。这些RNA分子不具有编码蛋白质的特性,但却结合有大量的蛋白质分子。推测loop的主要功能是聚集精子发生过程中所需要的特异的蛋白质分子。     

果蝇miRNA的结构与功能及研究策略

miRNA是一类在动植物基因组中广泛存在的小分子非编码RNA, 作为真核细胞转录后水平上基因表达的关键调控者, 它通过与靶基因mRNA的特定位点结合, 抑制mRNA的翻译或诱导mRNA的降解, 从而介导生物体的许多重要生理活动。本文简要总结了模式昆虫黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster miRNA的鉴定情况, 综述了miRNA的结构特征、生物合成途径和作用机制。miRNA可能同时调节成百上千个靶标, 其生物功能主要体现为: 调节细胞分化与凋亡, 调节器官和神经系统的发育, 控制肌肉分化, 保持能量动态平衡, 调节昆虫变态或综合调节作用。miRNA具有“低丰度、短序列、难富集”的特点, miRNA基因的获得和功能鉴定研究的基本策略是实验生物学和生物信息学方法的有机结合。鉴定新miRNA及其靶标, 深入研究其生物功能和基因进化等可能成为今后一段时间昆虫miRNA研究的重要内容。     

果蝇基因组与功能基因研究进展

黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster是生物科学研究中重要的模式动物之一。2000年,黑腹果蝇全基因组测序完成,随后基因组序列质量不断完善,对其功能基因进行深入研究,为其他高等动物基因组和功能基因的研究提供了巨大帮助。本文综述了近年来基因组功能元件、比较基因组学等方面的最新研究成果,着重介绍了功能基因在Hh信号通路、细胞凋亡方面的研究进展,并对最新的功能基因研究技术进行了简要概述。     

果蝇——打开生命科学之门的金钥匙

作为一种重要的模式生物,果蝇以其相对清晰的遗传学背景、丰富的表型特定、独特的发育特点而深受研究者青睐,为生命科学特别是遗传学和发育生物学的研究和发展提供了极大的方便。随着果蝇全基因组测序工作的完成,它在胚胎发育、基因表达调控、疾病发病机制等方面的研究中正在发挥更大的作用。     

MicroRNA及其在昆虫学中的研究进展

MicroRNA(miRNA)是真核生物中对转录后调控起着重要作用的一类非编码单链RNA分子,参与调控胚胎发育、干细胞分化、神经发生及细胞凋亡等几乎所有的生物过程。本文简要总结了miRNA的生物合成、命名、表达及功能等方面的研究进展,同时从昆虫miRNA的鉴定、表达及功能、miRNA的代谢等方面对miRNA在昆虫学研究中的最新进展做了综述。     

果蝇肠道干细胞研究进展

对果蝇Drosophila melanogaster Meigen肠道干细胞的研究现已触及生物学的很多方面,目前对这类细胞的研究主要集中于干细胞的小生境、信号路径的调控和细胞的分化,本文阐述了果蝇肠道干细胞研究方面的最新进展。果蝇肠道干细胞和脊椎动物肠道干细胞有诸多类似之处,所以弄清果蝇肠道干细胞的机理,可以为复杂的脊椎动物肠道干细胞研究提供了一定的理论基础。     

MicroRNA调控昆虫免疫的研究进展

MicroRNA(miRNA)是一类由内源基因编码的长度约为21nt的非编码单链RNA分子,在各种生物学过程中具有转录后水平调控基因表达的重要作用。本文从miRNA调控昆虫抗菌肽的表达、调控昆虫抗病毒免疫反应、调控昆虫与共生菌的免疫反应及调控昆虫作为病原体媒介引起的免疫反应等方面,就miRNAs在昆虫免疫防御方面的研究进展作一综述。     

MicroRNA 与肿瘤的相关研究进展

微小RNA(microRNAs,miRNA)是一类22个核苷酸左右的非编码调控RNA。可以通过切割mRNA或者是抑制翻译两种机制,在转录后水平发挥调控生物生长发育的重要作用。目前的研究已经发现microRNA参与调控发育、细胞分化、细胞凋亡等多种生理过程。目前已证实miRNA参与肿瘤发生和进展,miRNA表达谱是肿瘤诊断和预后的指标,miRNA突变、缺失或表达水平的异常与人类肿瘤密切相关,它发挥类似于癌基因或抑癌基因的作用,参与肿瘤细胞的增殖、分化和细胞凋亡过程。本文就miRNA在肿瘤发生发展以及诊断治疗方面的研究进展作一综述。     

MicroRNA targets in Drosophila

Background  

The recent discoveries of microRNA (miRNA) genes and characterization of the first few target genes regulated by miRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster have set the stage for elucidation of a novel network of regulatory control. We present a computational method for whole-genome prediction of miRNA target genes. The method is validated using known examples. For each miRNA, target genes are selected on the basis of three properties: sequence complementarity using a position-weighted local alignment algorithm, free energies of RNA-RNA duplexes, and conservation of target sites in related genomes. Application to the D. melanogaster, Drosophila pseudoobscura and Anopheles gambiae genomes identifies several hundred target genes potentially regulated by one or more known miRNAs.     

microRNA及其研究进展

microRNA(miRNA)是近年来发现的普遍存在于动植物体内的一类非编码RNA。这类miRNA分子长度大约为22nt,与动植物的生长发育相关。miRNA作为新的研究切入点,为功能基因组学、基因治疗、转录调控机制等研究提供了一条有效途径。现就其发现、生物学功能、产生与作用机制等方面作一综述。     

Identification of Drosophila MicroRNA targets

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by binding to target messenger RNAs and by controlling protein production or causing RNA cleavage. To date, functions have been assigned to only a few of the hundreds of identified miRNAs, in part because of the difficulty in identifying their targets. The short length of miRNAs and the fact that their complementarity to target sequences is imperfect mean that target identification in animal genomes is not possible by standard sequence comparison methods. Here we screen conserved 3′ UTR sequences from the Drosophila melanogaster genome for potential miRNA targets. The screening procedure combines a sequence search with an evaluation of the predicted miRNA–target heteroduplex structures and energies. We show that this approach successfully identifies the five previously validated let-7, lin-4, and bantam targets from a large database and predict new targets for Drosophila miRNAs. Our target predictions reveal striking clusters of functionally related targets among the top predictions for specific miRNAs. These include Notch target genes for miR-7, proapoptotic genes for the miR-2 family, and enzymes from a metabolic pathway for miR-277. We experimentally verified three predicted targets each for miR-7 and the miR-2 family, doubling the number of validated targets for animal miRNAs. Statistical analysis indicates that the best single predicted target sites are at the border of significance; thus, target predictions should be considered as tentative until experimentally validated. We identify features shared by all validated targets that can be used to evaluate target predictions for animal miRNAs. Our initial evaluation and experimental validation of target predictions suggest functions for two miRNAs. For others, the screen suggests plausible functions, such as a role for miR-277 as a metabolic switch controlling amino acid catabolism. Cross-genome comparison proved essential, as it allows reduction of the sequence search space. Improvements in genome annotation and increased availability of cDNA sequences from other genomes will allow more sensitive screens. An increase in the number of confirmed targets is expected to reveal general structural features that can be used to improve their detection. While the screen is likely to miss some targets, our study shows that valid targets can be identified from sequence alone.     

MicroRNA transgene overexpression complements deficiency-based modifier screens in Drosophila

Dosage-sensitive modifier screening is a powerful tool for linking genes to biological processes. Use of chromosomal deletions permits sampling the effects of removing groups of genes related by position on the chromosome. Here, we explore the use of inducible microRNA transgenes as a complement to deficiency-based modifier screens. miRNAs are predicted to have hundreds of targets. miRNA overexpression provides an efficient means to reduces expression of large gene sets. A collection of transgenes was prepared to allow overexpression of 89 miRNAs or miRNA clusters. These transgenes and a set of genomic deficiencies were screened for their ability to modify the bristle phenotype of the cell-cycle regulator minus. Sixteen miRNAs were identified as dominant suppressors, while the deficiency screen uncovered four genomic regions that contain a dominant suppressor. Comparing the genes uncovered by the deletions with predicted miRNA targets uncovered a small set of candidate suppressors. Two candidates were identified as suppressors of the minus phenotype, Cullin-4 and CG5199/Cut8. Additionally, we show that Cullin-4 acts through its substrate receptor Cdt2 to suppress the minus phenotype. We suggest that inducible microRNA transgenes are a useful complement to deficiency-based modifier screens.